A New Life
by Winter Stevenson
Summary: Karina, a 19-year old girl, planned to uproot her and her baby brother to La Push for answers and a better life. Through unexpected events, she comes alone. Her life then changes in ways she never expected. PaulxOCxJacob.
1. Prologue and Chapter One

_**- We shall make one thing clear: I only own what I created: Karina, Josiah, and all other characters not created by the brilliant mind that belongs to Stephanie Meyer.**_

- _**Just so you all know, there certain Indian tribes that I have decided to use as part of my story. So, don't assume that anything in this story is true, okay? I'm just modifying things for the purpose of my story.**_

_**Prologue**_

_**Karina's POV**_

"All rise," the bailiff commanded.

Immediately, I rose to my feet, anxious. For months, I had used money, resources, anything to win custody of my little brother. Ever since our mother died, he's been moved from home to home in Brooklyn, where we're from. It wasn't fair in the first place. I remember when they first took him away. I had been taking care of him for weeks before then, and he loved me. I remember playing with him for countless hours, full of laughter and smiles. But then, they came—

My reminiscing was interrupted by the judge, staring at me. I smiled, hoping that she would quit it. I didn't like it when people stared at me anyway.

The judge took in a deep breath, which made my nerves jump a little. "After careful consideration, and hearing both sides…I have decided that the best place for Josiah is with his sister."

Just then, the foster mother that had been taking care of my little brother for the past few months couldn't hold back her anger any longer; at least, I could see it in her face. "Are you crazy?! She's only 19! She can't handle—"

I took a couple of steps toward the woman, whom I could only remember as Mrs. Bramens. She annoyed me greatly, because she never allowed me to see Josiah, though I knew her oldest daughter. We had gone to school together as children, and had been good friends until all this started. Hannah had said that, though she still loved me as a friend, she was forced to take her mother's side. But, she gave me updates on him all the time. The one she always said: "Josiah asks for you all the time."

I remembered then to carry myself as better than she was. I even felt that I was better than her for Josiah. When her eyes snapped toward me, and her lips pursed, I rose a hand out of goodwill. "Mrs. Bramens—"

The face of the woman before me looked like she wanted to kill me. But, she didn't. "I just want you to know that you've robbed my younger children of a sibling."

I shook my head, a bit appalled at what I was hearing. "I've robbed them? Really? I would think that you've robbed me, since I'm the only caregiver that little boy knows."

Mrs. Bramens shook her head. "This won't be the end, dear."

I scoffed a little bit. _Really? This won't be the end? That is the most pathetic answer I've ever heard!"_ I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, but you can't access the records for him. And besides, we're getting out of this forsaken city. Neither of us need to be around this, or around people like you."

Just then, I heard the laugh of a little boy, a laugh I knew all too well. Winking toward Mrs. Bramens, I turned around to see Josiah's glowing face, a smile taking it over. It made me smile, and I picked the little guy up. "Hey little guy! Do you know how much I missed you?"

Josiah's face lit up even more. He clapped his hand in happiness, and it made me smile even more. "Whittle Sistwer!"

I hugged him close, not wanting to let him go. It was just me and him now.

I took him back to my small apartment, and he instantly wanted to go to his room, the small one that I had made up for him after our mother died. I had left it exactly as it had been the morning he was taken from me, and it made my heart sing to see him in the room once again.

But, I knew that would be shortlived, in a way. I was planning to move away from New York. I didn't want Josiah to be sucked into the same things that our parents had, and I knew that it would be better if Josiah grew up somewhere that was more…well, wholesome.

Weeks before, I had called the leader of the tribe my parents grew up in, the tribe that I was a part of, by blood: the Abnaki Tribe. They were based in Maine, at least, that's what I knew. When I had called the tribe's elder, however, things did not go well. He explained that, because my parents had left in rebellion of the tribe's ways, that they could not accept me on the reservation, because many elders would object. But, he did suggest one place to go, something that I was taking into consideration. He suggested that I go to the state of Washington, to a little Indian reservation known as La Push. There, our sister tribe lived. I thought about that greatly after hanging up the phone. Soon, it became a decision of mine to go there.

So, afterwards, I called the Abnaki elder back, and he gladly gave me the number of the elder of the Quileute tribe, a man named Quil Ateara Sr. I didn't have time that night, as it was getting late and I had to work as a waitress in the morning. But, the next day, after picking Josiah up from my neighbor who had once again agreed to babysit for me, I called Mr. Ateara (who later insisted that I didn't call him that). He said that he would speak with the other elders at a meeting that they were going to have later that night. I hung up afterwards, and I became anxious. But, I continued with my evening, playing with Josiah and making dinner for both of us. Finally, late at night, the phone rang again.

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

_**Karina's POV**_

I had just finished helping Josiah eat when the phone rang. I then set Josiah on the floor, near his alphabet blocks that he loved so dearly, even at the age of two. Just before the call could go to my answering machine, I grabbed it. "Hello?"

"Karina?" I could recognize Old Quil's voice, and it made me smile a bit.

"Yes, this is Karina."

I heard a small chuckle of satisfaction from more than one person. It made me right eyebrow raise a small bit, though they couldn't see it.

"Well Karina, as you may or may not have guessed, I am not the only one who can hear you."

_I never would have guessed…_ But, I kept that comment to myself. "Oh, okay."

"So, we've been talking about your situation for a couple of hours now, and we have some questions for you…"

His question made several of my own questions pop into my mind. _What, was he going to reject me? Was he going to say that Josiah couldn't—"_

"Um, Karina…are you still there?"

My mind had blanked out for a second, and it made me laugh at myself silently. "Yes, I'm still here."

"Wonderful. The questions are not from me."

"Um, okay…"

Then, I heard the sound of a woman clearing her throat. "Hello Karina, my name is Sue Clearwater."

_Clearwater? Cool last name…_ "Um, hi Sue."

"Alright then: how are you managing to provide for both yourself as well as your two-year-old brother?"

_Really? I hate questions like that. But, I need to get out of New York._ "Well, I waitress for an upscale restaurant during the day. It pays pretty well."

"That's wonderful darling."

Then, I heard the whispers of an older man, as well as one that I guessed to be in his early twenties. I wished to know what they were saying, but there was no use in worrying about it.

"Karina, we have come to a consensus," Old Quil informed me. _Honestly, enough with the idea of secrecy here…_

"And…?" I asked, not trying to seem too rude or impatient, though I was a bit impatient to get away from New York as fast as possible.

"Luckily, we have a small house on the reservation here. It should be just perfect for you and Josiah."

My heart started to race in excitement, and I wanted to squeal in delight, but I realized that it was not the right time for such things. "Really?"

"Yes, darling," I heard Sue reply.

I could feel tears begin to form in my eyes. I tried to hold them back, but my efforts were slightly futile, at best. "Th-thank you so much."

Then, I heard a chuckle. "Well, we personally feel that La Push would be a much better place for little Josiah."

_My thoughts exactly._ "So, when can we move to the reservation?" I asked, a little eager to know.

"Well Karina, you can move here as soon as you wish to. The house we're giving you is currently unoccupied."

_Even better._ "Alright then. How does two weeks sound?"

"Sounds fine to us, darling," Sue said, confirming my happiness.

"Okay then, I guess I'll see you then."

"Have a wonderful evening, and safe travels."

"Thank you." I then said goodbye and hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**- We shall make one thing clear: I only own what I created: Karina, Josiah, and all other characters not created by the brilliant mind that belongs to Stephanie Meyer.**

_**Chapter Two**_

_**Karina's POV – The Next Week**_

Everything that I could fathom was happening, and I was finally able to move away. The best part was that it seemed more like a blur than a week. Luckily, my employer understood why I had decided to move, and she was even a little supportive, though I knew she would miss both me and Josiah. And, the little guy was so excited. In fact, the past few days had been a bit of a play time for him and I. He always wanted to play, all the time. I of course was up for it, but, there were times when I had to take a rest. Today was one of those days.

I had actually taken Josiah to my friends Cynthia's today, to play with her son Harry. The two hadn't seen each other in a long time, and I knew that they missed each other immensely. It was quite nice to see Cynthia this morning when I dropped him off before work. We had grown up together, though she made a couple of mistakes. Still, I was supportive, and was there for her all the time. Most of the things I had learned so far about raising a child came from her, since Josiah and Harry were only weeks apart in age, but—

My reminiscing was interrupted by the sound of my cell phone ringing during my break. When I looked at the caller ID, it was Cynthia, which made me smile. So, of course, I answered it. "Hey Cynthia."

Her voice was full of evident excitement and cheer, and I started to wonder why. "Hey Kari, how's work?"

"Um, slow right now. But, it's only 11:05, so I'll be busy in the next hour or so. What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind about me taking Josiah to the park for a little while."

_He loves parks, and I haven't had the chance to take him. Maybe this is a good idea for him._ "Um, sure. How long were you guys going to be there?" I asked, wanting to make sure of where I was to pick him up.

"Well, there's the park next to my townhouse…"

"What, the one with all the colorful swings and stuff?"

"Yeah, that one. Is it alright with you?"

I chuckled. "Of course it is. I'll just come by around 2:00 to pick him up."

"Sounds fine to me." Then, I heard some screaming in the background, which made one of my brows raise a little. "Sorry about that…" she quickly replied. "I think Harry stubbed his toe…again."

Hearing that made me smile. "Well, go take care of him, and I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye." With that, she quickly hung up, and I could just imagine her running to get the little guy. I of course hung up and went back to work, eager to hear Josiah's stories of what they did…though sometimes, I had to help him with the words.

_**Meanwhile, at the park…**_

Cynthia put the phone down, smiling. Then, she went into the other room to find that Harry had indeed stubbed his toe yet again. At least this time, it wasn't bleeding. She immediately went to him and picked him up, hugging him close. "Hey little guy, it's gonna be okay," she cooed, trying to calm him down.

Harry looked up at his mother, his eyes a little red from crying, and tears drying on his face. "But Mommy…it hurts…"

Cynthia smiled at her little guy. "Here, how about we go to the park? I'm sure you and Josiah would like that. Then, we can go get ice cream afterwards," she proposed, trying to entice Harry into getting out of the house.

Josiah looked up at his friend's mother, and he nodded in agreement, the idea of playing in the sandbox making him very happy.

Cynthia looked over at Josiah to find him nodding, and she laughed a little, amused that Josiah was already on board with the idea. "Well then, I guess the park is in order then. At least, I would think so. Otherwise, you two might try to gang up on me," she said, laughing a little.

_**Later that Night…**_

He's gone.

My precious, happy, joy-bringing little brother…gone.

I got the phone call a few hours ago. Cynthia was hysterical, crying loudly into the phone. I tried to calm her down, but it only made her cry even more.

_**Flashback…**_

_My phone rang, and I didn't want to answer it, since Cynthia was only supposed to call me while I'm not on break in case of an emergency. I sighed, and I slipped around to the back, opening my cell phone and answering it as I walked._

"_Hey Cynthia, what? I'm trying to—" I then noticed her sobbing. My face turned into a frown. She wasn't one to cry, usually. "Cyn? What's going on? What happened?" I could barely hear her through the crying._

"_H-He's…g-gone…"_

_My mind started racing at what seemed to be like 100 miles an hour. But, what actually raced through my mind was already hard to understand. "Cynthia, you have to calm down. Who's gone?" I heard her then breath in deeply. _

"_Josiah…"_

_I almost dropped the phone. But, my hand did start to shake, and it was really hard for me to even comprehend what Cynthia was trying to tell me. I could hear her trying to steady her breathing, but I couldn't even steady my own. "Cynthia, where are you?" _

_But, Cynthia started to break up. I could barely hear her in the background, but I heard three words:_

"…_Park…across…house…"_

_It didn't make sense to me. At that moment, I started to think of the different places that she could be. There wasn't a park across from my apartment building. I knew Cynthia would never take Josiah somewhere else, somewhere that I wasn't familiar with. She was smarter than that. Then, it hit me: there was a park across from her home. _

_Before I knew it, I lost the call. Service was bad in that area, but I wasn't ready to focus on that. So, I did what I thought any smart mother would do: I left work immediately. I could hear my boss shouting at me as I left, but I yelled back to him that I had a family emergency. _

_When I finally got to the park, there were police cruisers everywhere, accompanied by the ever-ominous yellow tape that read: "Police Line—Do Not Cross." I didn't care. But, the police officer standing nearby did. As I proceeded to go under the barrier, he put a hand out in front of me. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you can't go in here. Maybe you should just—"_

_I don't know what was coming over me, but I didn't care. I felt anger welling up inside me, and my face stopped about an inch from his. "Either you let me see what happened to my little brother, or we will have a problem, I promise."_

_His face went from stern to scared in a moment. He quickly stepped back in response, not wanting to deal with me. "I—I'm sorry. Are you Karina Harper?"_

_I scoffed, annoyed more than he could possibly understand. "Yes, I am," I answered, trying to stay as calm as I could. I didn't need to accidently phase in front all these people._

_Without a word, he lifted the tape so that I could bend over and walk through. I did so in a hurry, and after walking—almost running—a few feet, Cynthia turned around to see me, her eyes red. Before I knew it, she enveloped me in a hug, still sobbing. Over her shoulder, I saw my little brother—the only difference: he wasn't breathing._

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in near three months. Life has been so busy with school, a part-time job, and writer's block. But, I made it through! Please read and review. It would help me out so much. And, if there is someone willing to be my beta, I would appreciate it, because I can't find one. Thanks! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I own Karina. That's it.**

Chapter Three

_Three weeks later…_

I wrote "dishes" on the cardboard box at my feet, which signaled the conclusion of packing. The movers were working on carrying the last of my things downstairs, while I finished the packing. Everything still seemed so surreal. One week, I was celebrating the impending departure from this forsaken city, and a couple of them later, I was doing the same, but things had changed. I've lost people before; friends, family, hell, even neighbors. But, none of them were as close to my heart as Josiah was.

His funeral was two weeks ago. But, with every minute that passed since seeing his tiny body lying on the ground, red liquid staining his clothes, his skin a sort of pale, yet ashen color, I wanted to turn back time. I wanted the little boy I knew so well. I wanted to hold him as he laugh, to comfort him as he cried, or to even discipline him as he tried to do something he knew he shouldn't. It almost felt as if every single step I had to take was difficult, and when the day of the funeral had finally come, it had proven to be one of the hardest days of my life. Once the day was finally over, things still hadn't gotten any better; if anything, they had become so much worse. I haven't been able to sleep. I haven't been able to eat. I even quit my job, because working in that diner reminded me too much of the fateful phone call I had received. It was almost as if I had turned into some sort of recluse, a hermit, a loner. I barely spoke to anyone, and I barely set foot out of my apartment. Even with everything that happened, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to get out of New York. If I didn't, I would end up spending the remainder of my days inside the tiny little apartment, and I would end up being the little old lady who sat outside her window all the time, holding a shotgun, too scared to interact with other human beings such as herself. Besides, everything my eyes examined reminded me too much of him. I couldn't handle this type of pain.

There were some that wanted me to stay in New York—Cynthia, former co-workers, even my neighbors. They wanted to help me get over this fear of people, the fear that something would happen to me, just as something had happened to Josiah. Besides, they all claimed to see the physical changes in me. Even I could see them—the bags under my eyes, the thinness of my face, the fact that I was losing weight at an unhealthy speed. I was letting myself go, and they wanted to help me. But, they didn't understand what I was going through, though they claimed to sympathize. Had any of them invested the amount of time I had in regaining custody of Josiah? Had they endured the criticisms of multiple people, all who seemed to claim that they knew what was best for him? Had they spent countless hours at work, to make sure the one they truly loved was lacking nothing? The only one who had the smallest right to claim any of this was Cynthia, since she had been in a situation similar to mine. Even then, she had only been a witness to the events of the past couple of weeks. She hadn't been the one living in it every second. If anyone were to ask me why I wasn't so happy, why I wasn't trying to stay positive, I knew what I would tell them: optimism left me the day my brother died.

Standing against the corner of a nearby doorframe, I watched the movers take the last couple of boxes downstairs. Finally, everything was out of the place I had called home for the past couple years of my life. It looked so barren, so lifeless, but in a way it reflected the way my own life had felt for the past couple of weeks. There were many happy memories that would linger in these walls long after I left them, but at the same time, there were many unhappy ones as well. My departure from the place was a symbol of my attempt at breaking free of the hold this sorrow had on my life. This would be worth it, and once I finally made it out to Washington, then I would have the actual chance of starting over again. Until then, all I could do was march out toward my goal, and not take a single glance back. Just as some people cleaned in order to break free of sorrow, I was packing up and moving away. There wasn't a good reason for me to stay in New York any longer.

With the tap I felt on my shoulder, I was brought back to reality. When I turned around, to see the face of whoever had been brave enough to disturb me, I could only give a blank look to the mover, who was holding a set of keys before me. I recognized them as the ones that belonged to the moving truck, which was currently waiting for me on the street in front of the building. These keys would ultimately get me out of the city, and so I was more than happy to take them from the man before me, as I carefully listened to his words. _"These are the keys to the truck down there. Just make sure you take it to the U-Haul Rental Facility in Port Angeles when you're done."_

As I continued to look up at him with the same expressionless face, I nodded once, to show him that I had indeed listened to his words, and that I planned on following them just as he had instructed. "Yeah, uh, got it. It'll make it there, I promise. Was there anything else I needed to do before I leave?"

The mover shook his head, though his face wasn't nearly as expressionless as my own. He actually seemed like he was glad to be done so quickly, so he could go home and get off of his feet. "Nope, ma'am. You signed all the paperwork beforehand."

I was so thankful to finally be leaving this place, which was becoming more and more unattractive to me with each passing second that I remained there. If I had been in a good mood, I probably would have smiled at the mover, excited to be leaving. But, I wasn't. All I could think about was Josiah, and how when I had planned all of this, I always had him in the back of my mind.

I smiled at him, thankful that I had been so intent on leaving the city as soon as possible. "Well then, I guess I'll get going." With that, I headed for the door. I stopped in the doorway for a moment, but I then continued walking. All of this was behind me now, and it was time to move on. It was time to get as far as I could away from all the things that reminded me of the little boy that was not only my brother, but had become a sort of adopted son. Maybe something new would happen, something wonderful, and my life would have meaning again.


	4. Chapter 4

**I own Karina. That's it.**

Chapter Four

**Three Days Later**

How many trips would it take to empty this U-Haul truck? It was just like asking an owl how many times it would take him—or her—to lick their way to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. The only difference was that I would reach my goal of emptying this truck a _lot_ faster. Emptying a truck, on your own, isn't too much of a daunting task unless you had a lot of heavy stuff to get out, and not just a bunch of boxes. All I had was a bunch of boxes, a few pieces of furniture, and that was all. I was planning to buy an actual bed once I could take a trip to Port Angeles, but that was going to happen on another day. Today's goals were simple: empty the truck, and get everything into the house.

The house that was now mine was small, simple, and perfect for a young woman such as myself and a small child. I had put the down payment on this particular house because it would be perfect for me and Josiah. Now, the catch was that instead, it was me—me, myself, and most certainly I—that was moving here. Josiah was back in New York State, lying in a small wooden box, in an area full of dead bodies in the ground. I didn't want to leave him there like that, alone, but I had to. It would have been more painful to bring him all the way out here, to the other side of the country, simply because I couldn't bear to let him go. If I was going to go anywhere in life, I needed to just let him go.

So, here I was, unloading box, after box…after box. It had already been a couple of hours at the least, and I still wasn't done. I was unloading another box for what felt like the millionth time, when I saw something—or rather _someone_ off in the distance. Maybe they were walking along the road, to some unknown destination. Whatever they were doing, it wasn't any of my business, and so I kept unloading things from the truck. When I walked through the door of my home once more, they—they being plural—were closer, and it was more apparent that they were heading for my home. There were six men heading in my general direction, and they all shared similar features; tall, dark, certainly handsome. They also had darker skin than the people I had seen while driving through Forks, and so I assumed they were from the tribe, the tribe who had been so kind as to let someone from a sister tribe move on to their reservation.

I shrugged it off anyway and walked back into the truck, sighing at how many boxes I still needed to unload into the house. When I came out with a smaller box in my arms, they were standing there, a couple of them having their arms crossed at their chest. "Excuse me…can I help you, boys?" I asked, as I set the box down on the porch.

One of the taller boys, and also the most mature looking of them smiled at me as he spoke. "Yeah, are you Karina?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am. What do you want? I have work to do," I answered. I didn't need to be bothered by a bunch of guys who thought that they had to help the "damsel in distress." I was no damsel in distress, and I would never be. As I looked them over, I saw one of them staring at me, like there was something in my teeth that was clearly visible. I hadn't eaten in hours, and so there was no possibility of that. But, then again, maybe he just liked to make eye contact with people.

That same young man, the one who had managed to identify me with ease, took a step forward, so he was standing in front of the others. He kept walking forward, until he was standing in front of me. "Karina, I'm Sam Uley, one of the members of the tribe here. The council sent me and my friends out here to help you unpack," he said with confidence. He then extended a hand toward me, obviously wanting to shake my hand.

With a smile on my face, I took his hand—which was much larger than mine—and shook it firmly. "Hi Sam. I…I really appreciate this," I said, trying to hold back stinging tears. They didn't need to come out now, when I was just meeting some neighbors. They didn't need to be dragged down into the dark abyss known as my life. I couldn't afford anyone getting too close to me. "I guess you guys could start with the rest of the boxes and stuff still in there," I said, gesturing to the nearby truck. "There's some furniture in there, but nothing too big."

Sam nodded once, that smile still on his face. "Sounds good. The guys here are always willing to help out, if you ever need it. I think your nearest neighbors are the Calls, and their son Embry is here with us." I looked behind Sam to see one of the shorter guys waive his hand at me, smiling as well. I waived a hand back, still trying to keep my smile up. It was getting harder and harder by the second, but I was determined to give them no reason to ask why I looked sad.

Within seconds, I watched as the guys followed each other to the truck, like they knew exactly what to do and how to do it. But, that one guy was still staring at me, something I was beginning to be annoyed by. Why did he feel the need to stare? I didn't have some disfiguring disability, and I certainly wasn't wearing an eye patch. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. This guy was beginning to get on my nerves, and if he was going to keep this up, then he wasn't welcome on my property. "Hey!" I shouted at him, my hands on my hips as I continued to stand on the porch. "What the hell is your problem? Didn't your mother teach you not to stare at people?"

As if there was something boiling up inside him, something about to burst into a fiery explosion, he was up on the porch, his face only a couple of inches from my own. He didn't even know what the meaning of personal space was, either. "What, got a problem with it, city brat?" he snarled.

What was wrong with him? As if he wasn't close enough, it looked like he was shaking, the movement becoming worse and worse with each passing second. "Why you—"

"Karina, get in the house, now!" Sam shouted.

I looked at Sam with an eyebrow raised, but the particular look on his face was enough to make me run into the house, looking out the window to appease my curiosity. As I stared out the window, I saw the group of guys get the one who had been in my face off of my porch. Then, there was some shouting, and the guy ran off into the woods. Once I saw that he was gone, I came back out on to the porch, completely confused. What had just happened? Was he always like that?

Sam, sighing visibly as he walked back to the house, looked at me. "I'm sorry about Paul. He's just like that sometimes."

I scoffed, not sure just how much I should have believed Sam. Guys like that needed some help, before they accidentally hurt someone. "Really?" I asked, my voice slightly raised. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. Paul's not normally like that. He's just been going through some hard stuff right now. Hopefully, he won't act like that later."

Thinking about it for a second, I uncrossed my arms, trying to relax a little. "Fine…let's just get this done, okay? I have stuff to take care of." Sam and the guys nodded in my direction, as they began to continue what they were meant to do while visiting me. As they moved boxes into the house, all I could do was look out into the woods, where Paul had run off to. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I wanted to apologize for my actions. Hopefully, he would come back soon. I didn't want to leave things between us like this.


	5. Chapter 5

**I own Karina. That's it.**

_**Two weeks later**_

**Karina's POV**

I had never truly realized how hard getting a job is, much less here, where there are few jobs, and many people who are fighting for them. It's even harder, since I'm taking care of a little boy. And the worst part is that if I don't find something soon, Josiah might be taken away from me. The thought of watching him suffer scared me, but the thought of him being taken from me scared me most. I needed to find something, and fast. Otherwise, we would suffer, and we would be separated yet again. I couldn't let that happen. I just couldn't.

We were both still getting used to our new surroundings. I was still trying to adjust to all the green, rather than the grey. Josiah had never really had an actual yard to play in, and so I noticed a change in him. He wanted to play outside more and more, until we were outside almost all day. And when it was raining, he was usually in a dismal sort of mood, until the skies cleared, and he could run around outside once again. I was still getting used to seeing the stars at night, rather than an orange-tinted haze. I had to admit, it was a welcomed change. I had seen stars before, but never quite like _this_.

All of these things were things I thought about. I wished that all of these were things I could actually say. But, they weren't. Instead, Josiah wasn't here, and I was all alone. It was me sitting outside in the front yard, looking around. It was me who looked up at the stars, wondering how the world seemed wonderful, and was actually horrible. The lack of employment wouldn't separate us, because he was always in my heart. I wished every second of every day that he was here, standing before me. But, he wasn't. He was gone. There was no way I could bring him back, no matter how much I wanted to.

Cynthia had called a couple of days before, just wanting to check up on me. I wanted to tell her that it really wasn't necessary, but then I knew what she would say. _'Kari, seriously. Don't you even think about giving me that crap. You are definitely _not_ okay.'_ I almost didn't answer the phone. But, I knew she would call over and over again, until I actually did. There was no point in stalling, and so I answered the phone. I could have simply answered and told her I didn't want to talk, but deep down, I think I really wanted to. I craved hearing a familiar voice. If I hadn't answered that phone, I knew what would have followed. I would have gone up to my room, shut the door, and lay on my bed for hours, crying until the tears were spent. I would blame myself for everything that had happened, knowing that it really wasn't my fault. Did it really matter? My brother was dead, I was in an unfamiliar place, and I couldn't even find a job. I decided to sum it up in three simple words: I am pathetic.

* * *

A few days after the guys had been over, I finally got the chance to meet the Quileute council members, the same ones I had spoken to over the phone. Out of the three—Sue, Quil Sr., and Billy—the one most memorable to me was Sue. It wasn't because she was the single female member. We somehow connected on a different level, more than the others. Anyway, they all welcomed me with open arms, and offered condolences on the loss of my brother. Trying to be as respectful as possible, I thanked them, multiple times. I had also asked them just why they had let me live on their reservation. I wasn't Quileute. I was of the same blood as the Abnaki tribe, who were in Canada. I wasn't even from Canada. They had told me that since the two tribes were once one, they still considered me a part of the tribe. Finally, it seemed like I actually belonged somewhere.

I was sitting on the couch, looking yet again through the local classifieds. I didn't care what sort of job I found, as long as it was something I could actually _do_. Otherwise, what point would there be? I continued to scan through the newspaper, red pen in hand. After what seemed like a while, my eyes spotted something.

_Receptionist Needed_

_No experience required_

_Auto Mechanic Shop_

_La Push, Washington_

_Call (360) 374-5783_

I couldn't believe it. There was a an actual job opening here in La Push, and I had a strange feeling that this was the job I was finally looking for. My phone was sitting on the table nearby, and so I picked it up, immediately dialing the number. I held the phone against my ear, waiting for someone to pick up. _Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ri—_

"J&E's Auto Shop, this is Jake, how can I help you?"

For a second, I didn't say anything. Both the name and the voice sounded familiar to me. I thought about it for a minute, until—

"Uh, hello? Anybody there?"

The voice on the other side brought me back to reality, and I spoke quickly, almost stumbling over my own words. "Uh, yeah. Is the receptionist job still open?"

"Of course! Name?"

"Karina Harper."

"Hey, Karina! It's me, Jake. I helped you move in."

It took me a minute to remember who that was, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized who it was. "Oh yeah. I remember now."

"Dude, you got some time right now? We could talk about it if you come down here."

Did I really want to leave the house now? I looked outside for a minute, seeing that the weather wasn't half bad outside. I guess I could go out for a little while. It would probably make my day a little better. "Sure, yeah. I'll be there in a few."

"Awesome. See ya then!"

"Yeah…see ya then." I hung up the phone, trying to remember where the auto shop was. I then remembered, and setting the phone down on the nearby table, I got up from the couch, stretching before heading upstairs.

* * *

I walked down to the auto shop, which was only about a mile or so down the road. I just didn't feel like driving, and I wanted to take advantage of the weather before it got worse. When I finally got there, I saw the door was actually open, and so I walked right in to find both Jake and Embry, legs sticking out from under a car. When one of them—being Embry—finally rolled out from underneath, he smile. "Hey Karina!"

Jake, hearing that I was there, rolled out from his place underneath the car, standing up and wiping his hands on his pants. "Hey," he said with a smile. "Still want the job?"

I almost laughed, managing to keep a semi-straight face. "Yeah, I need one. What's in it for me?"

"8.00 an hour, Monday through Friday, and part of Saturday," Embry said in confidence. "You answer phones, take payments, and smile."

It didn't seem like something too hard, and it was close by. That meant shorter drives in the winter, and if I had car issues, one of them could come and get me. It sounded like a fair enough deal. "Okay, you've got a receptionist," I said, finally smiling.

Both Jake and Embry seemed really happy, and Jake ran up to me, picking me up and spinning me around. My purse dropped to the ground, and I began to scream. "Put me down!" I shouted. It wasn't that I didn't like what he was doing. I just hadn't been fully prepared for it.

Soon, Jake put me down, though he was still smiling. "Sweet. Hey, you doing anything tonight? We're all having dinner at Sam's place."

I didn't have any plans. Why would I have any? I didn't have Josiah to take care of. Most nights, I just made something small for myself, watched a movie, and went to bed. Anything sounded better than that. "You sure they won't mind?"

"Nah," Embry said, smirking. "They'd love it if you came."

"Alright then. I'll show up around 5:00."

Jake and Embry simply looked at each other, and then back at me. "See ya then," Jake said, now smiling even more. I simply nodded once and turned around, walking back out the door. Maybe socializing a little wouldn't hurt.

* * *

**Okay then…hope you liked the chapter. And sorry I took so long. I'm a full-time commuting college student, taking 13 credits and working 10 hours a week. My muse is usually pretty spotty too. But, I'm so thankful people are still reading and reviewing. Makes me smile a lot. There's a Polyvore set for Karina on my profile, if anyone's interested. Feel free to send me ANY ideas you have. **


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